Loading and unloading apparatus for furnaces



Sept. 3, 1929. I F COPE LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR FURNACES Filed March 6, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l W T m m F. T. COPE Sept. 3, 1929.

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Sept. 3, 1929" F. T. COPE LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR FURNACES Filed March 6, 1926 Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

tJNlTED STATES inea PATENT QFFECB FRANK T. COPE, OF SALEM, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC FURNACE COMPANY, OF SALEM, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR FURNACES.

Application filed March 6, 1926. Serial No. 92,696.

Ordinarily, in operating the car type of furnace, for heating or heat treating of metal articles, the car is loaded or charged by hand at a point adjacent to the door of the furnace and then moved into the furnace and kept there until the articles have been brought to the desired temperature when the car is withdrawn and either permitted to cool sulliciently to allow the heated articles to be removed therefrom or the hot material is raked off of the car top, after which the car is again loaded or charged by hand and returned to the furnace.

This procedure necessitates the car remaining out of the furnace for a considerable length of time permitting the temperature thereof tobe considerably lowered, and when the cool car is returned to the furnace the temperature of the same is pulled down, re-

2 quiring considerable additional heat within the furnace to bring the cooled car top back to the original temperature.

The object of the present invention is to overcome this difficulty by providing means for rapidly unloading and loading the car immediately upon its withdrawal from the furnace, necessitating only a few seconds time in which to unload the heated articles and recharge the car, permitting the same to be returned to the furnace before it has perceptibly cooled, thus providing for a considerable saving in fuel and permitting a more economic use of the furnace and car.

The above and other objects may be attained by providing a tilting platform upon which the car is received as it is withdrawn from the furnace, the hearth of the car being so constructed that as the platform, with the car thereon, is tilted the heated articles will slide from the hearth.

As soon as the car has been discharged or unloaded it is tilted back to the horizontal and loaded by means of a loading pan, arrangedto be suspended above the car, and provided with a plurality of hinged bottom plates, by means of which a new charge is transferred onto the hearth of the car.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a furnace showing the car withdrawn and illustrating the improved loading and unloading apparatus;

Fig. 2, a transverse, sectional View taken substantially on the line 22, Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved loading apparatus showing the same in operative position.

Similar numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

The furnace, a portion of which is indicated generally at 1, may be of any approved type and of sufhcient size to house the car 2, which is arranged to be moved into the furnace upon the rails 3.

This car has a base or bottom 4; formed of suitable refractory material above which is spaced, as by the piers 5, a hearth 6.

This hearth may beprovided at three sides with the upright flanges 7, the other side edge being preferably provided with a hinged oint as shown at 8, to permit the articles to be quickly discharged therefrom, as will be later described. In case the articles are large or of such a-nature that they will not readily slide off of the hearth, the hinged side may be omitted.

A tilting platform 9 is mounted adjacent to the door of the furnace and pivoted, preferably near one side edge. as shown at 10. This platform carries rails 11 located in alinement with the rails 8, when the platform is in the normal or horizontal position.

This platform is arranged to be tilted, upon the pivotal shaft 10, as by means of one or more fluid cylinders 12, the car being tilted with the platform into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, moving the hearth beyond the angle of repose to cause the heated or heat treated articles thereon to slide downward over the curved side edge 8. One

or more retaining hooks 9, upon the platform, are provided for holding the car upon the platform when tilted.

A sand channel or trough 13 may be pro vided upon each side of the car, at a point below the hearth for engagement with a depending flange 14 within the furnace, to form a sand seal between the heating chamber and the lower portion of the furnace, in order to prevent overheating of the running gear of the car, as well as to minimize oxidation of the charge in the furnace.

The loading apparatus comprises a pan, indicated generally at 15, having a rectangular frame, which may be formed of channel irons 16, suspended from a point above m do edge of each of the hinged plates 18 for normally holding the same in closed position. These latch hooks are arranged to be released by means of the sliding bars or rods 23, mounted through eyes 24 in the sides of the rectangular frame and provided with studs 25 for contact with the latch hooks. Both of these rods may be connected at one end as indicated at 26 whereby a pull upon the connection will simultaneously release all of the latch hooks.

In loading the ear, the pan is first filled with the articles to be heated or heat treated, which filling may be done while the car is in the furnace, and then lowered upon the hearth of the car, resting upon the channels or angles 20, relieving the latch hooks from the weight of the articles. The rods or bars 23 are then pulled into the position shown in Fig. 3, to release the hooks from the engagement with the plates 18, and the rectangular frame is raised into the position shown in said figure, the free end portions of the plates resting upon the hearth ofthe car. Each plate is thus inclined as the pan is raised and the articles slide downward therefrom and onto the hearth of the car, the pan being raised clear of the car to permit the same to be immediately returned to the furnace.

WVhile the car is within the furnace the hinged bottom plates of the loading pan may be closed and the several compartments of the pan again filled with articles to be heat treated.

From the above it will be obvious that the :ar when removed from the furnace may be discharged and reloaded in a few seconds time, and immediately returned to the furnace with a new charge before the temperature of the car has been materially lowered, thus providing not only a great saving of fuel or power but also providing for a more economic operation of the furnace and car.

I claim:

1. A furnace including a car adapted to be entered therein and Withdrawn therefrom, a loading pan supported above the entrance to the furnace, a hinged bottom plate in said pan adapted to support articles to be heated and means for releasing the free edge of said hinged plate for resting said free edge upon the car, to deposit said articles upon the car.

2. A furnace including a car adapted to be entered therein and withdrawn therefrom,

a loading pan supported above the entrance to the furnace, a hinged bottom plate in the loading pan adapted to support articles to be heated, means for lowering said loading pan upon the car, means for releasing the free edge of the bottom plate for resting said free edge upon the car, and means for raising the loading pan to deposit the articles upon the car.

3. A furnace including a car adapted to be entered therein and withdrawn therefrom, a loading pan supported above the entrance to the furnace, a hinged bottom plate in the leading pan adapted to support articles to be heated, a hook for retaining the bottom plate in closed position, means for releasing said hook for resting the free edge of the bottom plate upon the car, and means for raising the loading pan to deposit the articles upon the car. i

4. A loading apparatus for a car including a rectangular frame, means for raising and lowering the frame above the car, a plurality of compartments in the frame, a hinged bottom plate for each compartment adapted to support articles to be deposited upon the car, hooks engaging the free edges of the bottom plates and means for simultaneously releasing all of the hooks forresting said free edges upon the car to deposit the articles upon the car.

5. A furnace including a car adapted to be entered therein and withdrawn therefrom, a loading pan supported above the entrance to the furnace, a hinged bottom plate in the loading pan adapted to support articles to be heated, a depending member at the free edge of the bottom plate for resting upon the car, means for lowering said loading pan upon the car, means for releasing the free edge of the bottom plate for resting said depending member upon the car, and means for raising the loading pan to deposit the articles upon the car.

6. A furnace including a car adapted to be entered therein and withdrawn therefrom, a loading pan supported above the entrance to the furnace, ahinged bottom plate in the loadingpan adapted to support articles to be heated, a depending member at the free edge of the bottom plate for resting upon the car, a hook for retaining the bottom plate in closed position, means for releasing said hook for resting said depending member upon the car, and means for raising the loading pan to deposit the articles upon the car. i

7. In combination, a car, and a loading pan for the car, the loading pan being supported above the car and including a hinged bottom plate adapted to support articles to be deposited upon the car, means for releasing the free edge of the hinged plate to deposit said articles upon the car, and the free edge of said hinged plate resting upon the car when released.

8. In combination, a car, and a loading pan for the car, the loading pan being supported above the car and including a hinged bottom plate adapted to support articles to be de posited upon the car, means for lowering said loading pan upon the car, means for releasing the free edge of the bottom plate for resting said free edge upon the ear, and means for raising the loading pan to deposit the articles upon the car.

9. In combination, a car, and a loading pan for the car, the loading pan being supported above the car and including a hinged bottom plate adapted to support articles to be deposited upon the car, a hook for retaining the bottom plate in closed position, means for releasing said hook for resting the free edge of the bottom plate upon the car, and means for raising the loading pan to deposit the articles upon the car. i

10. In combination, a car, and a loading pan for the car, the loading pan being supported above the car and including a rectangualr frame, a plurality of compartments in the frame, a hinged bottom plate for each compartment adapted to support articles to be deposited upon the car, hooks engaging the free edges of the bottom plates, means for lowering the frame upon the ear, means for simultaneously releasing all of the hooks for resting said free edges upon the car, and means for raising the frame to deposit the articles upon the car.

11. In combination, a car, and a loading pan for the car, the loading pan being supported above the car and including a hinged bottom plate adapted to support articles to be deposited upon the car, a depending member at the free edge of the bottom plate for resting upon the car, means for lowering said loading pan upon the car, means for releasing the free edge of the bottom plate for resting said depending member upon the car, and means for raising the loading pan to deposit the articles upon the car.

12. In combination, a car, and a loading pan for the car, the loading pan being supported above the car and including a hinged bottom plate adapted tosupport articles to be deposited upon the car, a depending member at the free edge of the bottom plate for resting upon the car, a hook for retaining the bottom plate in closed position, means for releasing said hook for resting said depending member upon the car, and means for raising the loading pan to deposit the articles upon the car.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FRANK T. COPE. 

